Author: Vardiafrica

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it is probing intricate web of fraudulent practices in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. “At the outset of investigations, past and suspended officials of the Humanitarian Ministry were invited by the Commission and investigations into the alleged fraud involving them have yielded the recovery of N32.7billion and $445,000 so far,” EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement on Sunday. “Discreet investigations by the EFCC have opened other fraudulent dealings involving Covid-19 funds, the World Bank loan, Abacha recovered loot released to the Ministry by the Federal…

Exactly 10 years after the abduction of 276 students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State, former abductees, parents and relatives gathered at the multipurpose hall of the school on Sunday to pray for the safe return of 92 uncounted girls. At the inter-faith service of prayers, speakers expressed mixed reactions following the turnout of events since 2014, central among the comments being a demand for explanation on why the remaining girls were yet to be rescued while others have regained freedom. Chibok, located in the southern part of Borno State, is about 125km from the capital, Maiduguri…

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) confirmed the development to Channels Television on Sunday. The new wage of N615,000 monthly was reached after consultations between the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). The labour unions said the current minimum wage of N30,000 can no longer cater for the wellbeing of an average Nigerian worker, lamenting that not all governors are paying the current wage award which will expire by April, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The Act is to be reviewed every five years to meet up with…

Israel Sunday struck a Hezbollah site in Lebanon’s east near the Syrian border, the Israeli army and a source from the Iran-backed group said, as tensions soared after Iran directly attacked Israel. The Hezbollah source told AFP that “the Israeli strike targeted an area… near Baalbek and targeted a two-storey building belonging to Hezbollah,” adding there were no casualties. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that “an enemy air strike targeted a building” in the village of Nabi Sheet and “destroyed it”. An AFP photographer at the site saw the concrete and steel wreckage of the building, levelled in the…

The United States does not want to see an escalation of the crisis in the Middle East, a top White House official said Sunday after Israel repelled a massive missile and drone attack from Iran. “We don’t want to see this escalate,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on NBC’s “Meet the Press”. “We’re not looking for a wider war with Iran.” Israel was on high alert Sunday after Iran’s unprecedented attack sparked fears of a broader conflict. Iran launched its first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory late Saturday in retaliation for a deadly strike by Israeli…

Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the ambassadors of Britain, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency reported. Iran summoned the ambassadors on Sunday following the countries’ positions on the retaliatory strikes, according to Alarabiya. The three European countries have condemned Iran’s drone and missile attack against Israel from Saturday night into Sunday and were in retaliation for Israel’s bombing of its consulate in Syria on April 1. The director for Western Europe at Iran’s foreign ministry accused the three countries of “double…

Israel praised the success of its defenses in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles while tensions ran high over a possible Israeli counter-strike. An Israeli military spokesman said Sunday the launches numbered more than 300, but 99 percent of them were intercepted. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base The Iranian attack on Saturday, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike…

Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel in its unprecedented attack overnight, injuring at least 12 people, an Israeli army spokesman said Sunday. “Last night Iran fired over 300 ballistic missiles, UAVs and cruise missiles towards Israel,” military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a televised statement, revising an earlier figure of more than 200 launches. Hagari said 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were launched, none of which entered Israeli territory, adding that 110 ballistic missiles were also fired and few of them reached Israel. In a separate statement, the Israeli military said that “dozens of…

Countries around the world condemned Iran’s strikes on Israel late Saturday, warning the attack threatened to further destabilise the Middle East. Here are some of the main reactions so far: United States US President Joe Biden promised “ironclad” support for Israel after holding an urgent meeting with top security officials. “I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran’s attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad,” Biden said on X, formerly Twitter, posting a picture of the meeting in the White House Situation Room. Qatar Qatar…

US President Joe Biden says a meeting of the G7 countries will be convened on Sunday (today) to “coordinate a united diplomatic response” to Iran’s attack on Israel. Iran attacked Israel as a reprisal for a strike that killed an Iranian military commander in Damascus in early April. The G7 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, and the US. In a statement, Biden said he reassured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the US’ “ironclad commitment” to security in the Middle Eastern country “I’ve just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel,” the US…